How do I ease the side effects of getting off pain meds?

About a year and a half ago I had to have a hysterectomy. They prescribed me percocet and I liked them. A lot. I suffer from severe depression and anxiety, and they just made me feel so good. I became super mom, super wife, and was just happy. I kept talking them, finding ways to get prescribed more and more. I now take up to 50mg a day and it's out of control. I quit in June with the support of my husband, but it was so unbearable I ended up on a 72 hour watch. I'm on trazadone 200 mg a night, ambien, and xanax. It was so hard to deal with the depression and anxiety I started again after a month. I just want to be happy without the pain meds. I have a good job, great family, I shouldn't be so miserable. I'm on day one without any pain meds, but I know tomorrow is going to be much more difficult. I'm terrified of how I'm going to feel and I know I'm not going to have the support I had before (no one knows I started again) I never thought I would be this person and I'm so ashamed.

Responses (5)

Don't be ashamed it happens to the best of us. I didn't think I would become that person either but I did. My doctor put me on clonidine. It helps with withdrawals from anything to nicotine to pain meds. It also works great for anxiety without being on narcotics. If you think you're going to be hooked again bad just talk to your doctor. Its what's best for you and your family. I know its hard but hang in there. Good luck.

Hi, think about the symptoms you experienced last time and be prepared to expect them again, make sure to get any remedies you will need from the pharmacy, for example, if you suffered diarrhoea, get in some Immodium and Dioralyte, if you had stomach cramps, get in some Mebeverine, and mild analgesics such as Paracetamol/Acetaminophen... Some people find they have trouble sleeping, if this is the case, don't drink any caffeine after midday. Eat healthily, little and often, and try to get out for a short walk in the fresh air at least once a day - the vitamin D from the sun is good for you and you will raise your serotonin levels by taking light exercise.

Please don't be ashamed, i also fell in to this trap - my poison was Tramadol. I completely understand how easily it can happen and why, i was on top form all of the time, i was like a rocket at work, i had so much energy, and i only needed about 4 hours sleep a night, i lost a lot of weight, which at the time i was really happy about. You can get passed this, you can do this. It won't be easy and you must ask for help if you need it, from any one you feel able to confide in, ask for support from us here, seek medical support if necessary. Wishing you all the best!

Don't be ashamed, you shouldn't be. People like talking about stereotyped drug users but I spoke to my old pharmacist about this and she said "there is a stereotype and then all the others you don't see; you would be surprised, mostly just regular people."

I just finished detoxing from Fentanyl but my pain Doctor was completely on board with me when I explained I just had to stop (the last medication I can do without). Fortunately I've always been honest and I just told him it was a real problem. He helped by weening me down to 25 microgram Fentanyl patches and then transferring me to Norspan (Buprenorphine) patches in reducing sizes for 6 weeks and I'm finished.

It's very important to come off any mood altering drugs SLOWLY and to be MONITORED while doing so by a medical professional whom you trust and who will listen to you. COMMUNICATION here is important--you must be truthful with your doc and they must listen. I came off these type of drugs twice--once being monitored by my psychologist ONLY to keep an eye on my own accounting of my mood and once by both my internist and psychologist for the same reason. The decision to come off the drugs in both cases was resisted by the psychiatrist who had prescribed them,so I made the decision on my own to come off gradually and with the monitoring I mentioned above. It worked--that is, I am off these drugs with no harmful withdrawal symptoms and with the ability to manage these mood swings without mood altering drugs.

One additional thing: GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP is key for me, and I still take a prescribed sleep aid (seroquel - 50mg and klonipin - 0.25mg); but, I dream (pardon the pun) of also coming off these drugs sometime in the future. Please feel free to CONTACT ME if you would like to "talk" with someone who's (more or less) been there.

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